Carroll, who was sold by Brendan Rodgers to the Hammers last summer after not fitting into the manager's plans at Anfield, believes that his former club "deserve" to be champions and is out to crown them with a goalscoring performance on Sunday.

"I am hoping that Liverpool win the league and I will do my best to score at the Etihad," the centre forward told reporters. "I have still got a lot of friends at the club and the lads were brilliant when I was up there.

"To be honest, I think that Steven Gerrard deserves to win the league. He has been there so long and, the football they have played, they definitely deserve it.

"They are great fans and, even when they were not winning the league or challenging up there, they were still fantastic. They stuck by the team and that is where they are now."

Carroll himself has been reduced to only 11 starts this season due to lengthy struggles with injury and is determined to make a bigger impact at Upton Park by building back up to peak fitness.

He declared: "I still feel there is a bit more to come from me.

"It takes time to get back your full fitness and, although I feel fit, I know deep down I am not 100 per cent."